Waste management businesses in England with environmental permits have today (31 August) been given new advice and requirements about incorporating planning for climate change in their management plans.
The country’s Environment Agency, which regulates the waste management sector, has given the ruling on climate change and management plans.
It said that environmental permits, which waste businesses should have, require them to have a written management system.
In England, waste firms will have to plan how their businesses will adapt to climate change
Now, in its updated guidance on environmental permits the Environment Agency has extended the ‘A changing climate‘ section of the document to explain what waste businesses must consider and plan for.
In the guidance, waste businesses are given a summary of the climate projections for the UK which suggest that the following are expected:
- higher average temperatures – particularly in summer and winter
- more heat waves and hot days
- rising sea levels
- changes in rainfall patterns and intensity
- more storms
The Agency tells businesses “it is important you consider if a changing climate could affect your operations, including how this might affect your ability to comply with your permit.”
Waste management businesses are warned to “plan for the impacts of multiple events, such as supply chain failure and extreme weather, happening at the same time.”
‘Resilient’
The Agency states: “Plan to complete changes to ensure your operations remain resilient at stages along a climate projection of at least a 2°C global mean temperature rise by 2050. Do this by following and regularly updating your climate change risk assessment. Also, assess what further requirements may be necessary along a projected 4°C rise by 2100. You do not need to assess risks or plan actions beyond the end of the life of your activity.”
Useful links
The updated changing climate guidance is available here.
Examples of how to prepare management plans and risk assessments are available here.
